Voided USPS Labels Cause Headaches For eBay Sellers In Back Charging Snafu
eBay sellers report USPS labels they purchased on the platform and voided without using months ago are suddenly reactivating, resulting in back charges for shipments that were never sent.
The issue was first raised in the eBay community when a seller was recently charged for multiple shipping labels that were voided in December.
This is something I haven't encountered before in the 23 years that I have been selling on Ebay.
This week USPS charged me for 2 separate shipping labels that had been voided back in December of 2023. Their reason was because the labels were used after they had already given me a refund...which is not true. The labels were never used at all...but for some reason the tracking numbers attached to the labels are showing that they were used for shipping in March of 2024. I don't understand how that is even possible. The labels were thrown away in December and never used...but the tracking is updating as if I mailed the packages out last week...which I did not do.
Is anyone else having this same issue? I'm not even sure how to fight it with USPS and the only things that I can think of is that the tracking numbers are being recycled and someone else has shipped a package using the exact same tracking number...OR...it is a glitch with the USPS tracking system that is somehow providing false updates when nothing has actually been shipped.
Other sellers chimed in that they too had recently been back charged for shipping labels that were voided and refunded months ago.
Experiencing the exact same thing with 10 voided labels. I emailed APV 8 days ago and no response yet. Did you have any luck calling the 800 number?
Yes, I just got notified by ebay of a USPS APV adjustment for a shipping label that their tracking shows was used last week but was voided and refunded back in December 2023. Opened a dispute with them yesterday. Waiting for their resolution of the matter.
I've had this happen twice this month. 2 different labels created, one Dec 12, one Dec 13. Buyers requested cancellations and I granted and voided the labels. Nothing was sent. 80 days later on one and 90 days one the other, these labels were used in another part of the country and I was charged.
One of the many odd things about this situation is that many of the voided labels are showing an initial scan in METRO NY on the day the labels are reactivated in the USPS system, regardless of where the original ship from location would have been.
USPS is so far denying attempts to appeal the charges and is pointing the finger squarely back at eBay - but at least one seller says they've had the same experience with labels printed their PayPal ShipStation, so it would appear to not just be an eBay problem.
eBay community staff passed the concerns on to the shipping department and came back with a somewhat cryptic answer, with no explanation for why this issue is occurring but providing assurance affected sellers will be reimbursed.
Kyle@eBay said:
I did get a bit of an update in a response over the weekend.. Here is where we're at so far:
"We are investigating the issue, and any erroneous charges will be credited."
We'll be sure to provide any further updates we receive!
Have you been charged for previous voided USPS labels purchased through eBay or another platform? Let us know in the comments below!
